The drive to SFO was mostly uneventful. I couldn’t figure out how to get the car to go into cruise control for quite a while before I finally noticed the cruise control symbol to the right of the “D” on the gear selector – I hoped that nudging the selector would turn on cruise control instead of putting the car into neutral, and I was right.
The car did brake on its own once for no reason that I could detect; fortunately, it obeyed when I hit the accelerator. And when we got to Hertz, I couldn’t figure out how to see the mileage to write it down on the return form, so we had to wait for an attendant. It’s on the “Software” menu – what could be more obvious?
I’m writing this post from the United Polaris lounge, where we had a very pleasant small dinner. I was pleasantly surprised by their “Local Beets” salad – it was good, and I say that as someone who has a lifetime record of hating beets. The lamb kebab was also quite nice, and the chocolate chip skillet cookie was excellent, even if it wasn’t quite halachically kosher for Passover. I also really enjoyed the wine (The Prisoner, a very pleasant red blend). I’m not sure that the Polaris Lounge is quite up to the standard of the BA Concorde Lounge in Heathrow, but it’s the best lounge I’ve ever experienced while flying on a US airline, and it’s far more attainable (the Concorde Lounge is only available if you’re flying First through Heathrow).
Onward to Sydney!